Trans and nonbinary people's experiences with healthcare
The largest survey of trans people in the U.S. found nearly half had a negative experience with a provider in the past year. Here's what trans people are reporting.
Key takeaways
- 48% of trans respondents who saw a provider had a negative experience because they're trans.
- Many have to teach their own providers.
- Insurance denials are common.
The 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey heard from more than 92,000 trans people, making it the largest survey of its kind. Its findings, along with surveys from KFF and the Center for American Progress, show how much work trans people do just to get basic care.
48%
had a negative experience with a provider in the past year because they're trans
24%
didn't see a doctor when they needed to, for fear of mistreatment
26%
had a problem with their insurance company in the past year
Teaching their own providers
In a 2023 KFF and Washington Post survey of trans adults, 47% said their providers knew little or nothing about caring for trans people. 31% had to teach a provider about trans people to get appropriate care, and 31% had a provider refuse to acknowledge their gender identity.
Nearly half of trans adults say their providers know little or nothing about caring for trans people.
Names and pronouns
The Center for American Progress found that 26% of transgender adults had providers use the wrong name or intentionally misgender them, and 37% worried that sharing their gender identity would hurt their access to good care.
Insurance
In the KFF and Washington Post survey, 22% of trans adults said their insurance didn't cover gender-affirming care. Our guide on how to appeal an insurance denial walks through your options.
Well-being
The same research also shows something hopeful. In the U.S. Transgender Survey, 94% of respondents living as a different gender than the one they were assigned at birth said they were more satisfied with their lives.
Sources
- National Center for Transgender Equality, 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey: Early Insights, 2024
- KFF and The Washington Post, Trans in America survey, March 2023
- Center for American Progress, The LGBTQI+ Community Reported High Rates of Discrimination in 2024, March 2025
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